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Just before 6 a.m. South Korea time Tuesday, North Korea fired an unidentified missile from near the capital Pyongyang, towards the northeast.

It flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, making it the first North Korean projectile to successfully pass over Japanese territory since 1998. It subsequently broke up and fell into the Pacific Ocean.

Just hours after the launch, South Korea's Presidential Office announced four F-15K jetfighters had dropped eight MK84 bombs on a simulated target at the Taebaek Pilsung Firing Range in the country's northeastern Gangwon province, about five hours drive from Seoul.

In a press conference, presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan said South Korean leader Moon Jae-in had wanted "to showcase a strong punishment capability against the North."

An official with the South Korean Defense Ministry told CNN the one-ton bombs had all landed on target.

"The drill reconfirmed South Korea Air Force capability to destroy the enemy's leadership in cases of emergency," the official said.

'Most serious and grave ever'

International reaction to North Korea's missile launch was swift. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was the "most serious and grave ever" threat to his country.

South Korea joined with the United States and Japan Wednesday in calling for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the North Korea launch, Japan's UN ambassador Koro Bessho told CNN.

It will be held on Tuesday afternoon, two UN diplomats told CNN.

"Our goal is to stop North Korea from going down this road. The international community has to put more pressure on North Korea," Ambassador Bessho said.

President Donald Trump spoke to Abe following the launch, where he reiterated the US stood behind Japan "100 per cent," Abe told reporters.